Air source heat pump or prepaid meter

Hello, just wondering what other landlords would do.

My great tenant of 10 years is worried about managing her energy bills in the coming months/years. She has asked if she can move away from direct debit and install prepaid meters for gas and electricity. If that is best for her then I don’t have an issue with it.

However, installing an air source heat pump would do away with the need for gas and reduce her electricity bills and give her actual savings. The curent gas boiler is 22yrs old and although it does its job I guess it is probably only about 85% efficient.

Anybody got any ideas/thoughts?

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what is the price of an air source heat pump ?

Fitted, £8k less £5k grant so £3k in total

Arnt heat pumps over £10k? High cost to maintain. Requires increase sized radiators. Noisey and vibrate. No good when weather cold iE when you need them most! No first hand experience but when I looked into these were common problems.

Hope I’m wrong!

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am i right in thinking that they do not provide very hot water and you need an electric immersion heater as well ?

good evening, I’m Lidia Tudor, I’m 32 years old, I’m divorced, I have 5 children, I’m urgently looking for a house where I can move with my 5 minors, the house where I live now is full of rats, my children have been bitten and the owner of the house doesn’t want to do anything, there are a lot of cockroaches that bite your skin, they live in very difficult conditions, very stupid, I don’t know what to do, and all the same, here it is difficult living conditions for my children, I also pay the rent of 1650 per month

I’m having one fitted in 3 weeks time. My house is much larger and is coming in at £12k. Maintenance is same cost as gas service. Rads need to be double fins but they are already in. New pumps are quieter and no more noisy than a new fridge freezer. They work at -25C and are very popular in Finland

Sounds decent, have you got a link to supplier?

Water will reach the required temperature for heating but needs extra time to warm up. The hot water is stored in a large well insulated tank [just like the old back boiler system]. If you run several baths/showers and use all the hot water the heating elemnt in the tank will kick in on demand

I’m going with Octopus Energy

Hi Lidia, you would be better posting this on the tenant discussion board. I’m no expert but my first move would be to go to Citizens Advice.

I suppose only time will tell if it lives up to the hype. It sounds good

Lidia HI you are under the wrong heading

Here’s the link

I wonder how heat pumps will pan out long term. Do you know how well insulated a property has to be?

I think hydrogen boilers will have their place one day but we’re years away from it being viable.

Have you thought about getting a vermin expert in? Contact environmental health at council.

Heat pumps have been around for some time, got more efficient, quieter, and greener. The property needs to have an EPC without any recommendations for loft, cavity wall insulation or double glazing. They do a desktop analysis first, then a video call walkabout followed by surveyor [this takes 3-4 hours]

I agree hydrogen would be more enviromentally friendly but don’t think it will happen in my lifetime [unless I’m still here in 50 years!]

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that is a good link . Its a leap of faith isnt it… I have been thinking about my home … But I have just spent 2k on a multifuel fire with a built in oven Defra approved. and last year 1500 on a new combi !! Thats life isnt it To go to a “new” system is a bit daunting.

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Would be great to go to a house where one was installed and ask their opinion

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I am struggling to see the benefit when taking into account cost of gas boiler. The high gas prices will be temporary. How much will a heat pump cost to repair, it won’t be cheap as competition is low and unit cost is high.

We have until 2035 before gas boilers can’t be fitted (new builds 2025) so plenty more years yet.